Process of making wooden corks.



PATENTED MAB B, 1903 L. LE FRANG. PROCESS OF MAKING WOODEN GORKS.

APPLIOATI-OH FILED-APBIM, 1902.

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UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS LE FRANO, OF BEX, SWVITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO SOOIETE SUISSE DU BOUCHEGE PAR LE 3018, OF BEX, SWITZERLAND, A CORPORATION OF SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS OF MAKING WOODEN CORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,958, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed April 23, 1902.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LOUIS LE FRANC, engineer, of Box, Switzerland, have invented a Process of Making Wooden Corks, of which the following is a specification.

This process includes two phases. In the first phase the wood, of any essence whatever, with which the wooden corks are to be made is prepared so as to render it quite water-tight lo and to give it the necessary immunity, according to the liqnids-whiclrare to be preserved. In the second phase the wood pre pared in this way is worked until it gets the necessary pliantness, so as to easily take the :5 shape of the neck of the bottle. This is obtained by boring in the cork a circular groove, so that the cork is provided with a tubular part, inside of which is a concentric projection.

Theaccompanying drawings show, by way of example, several forms of execution of the invention. 7

Figure l is a section of a cork before it is put in place. Fig. 2 is a section of said cork 2: after its being put in place in the neck of the bottle. Fig. 3is a section of another cork of a different shape. Fig. 4 is a section of another cork.

Preparation of the wood-The first condi- 0 tion which is to be fulfilled to transform a piece of wood into a cork is to prepare said wood so that it be able to be turned on a lathe and to insure the preserving of liquids entering in contact with the same. The Wood must be able to be turned to relatively thin pieces, and it must at the same time remain smooth and regular. Therefore I proceed in the following Way: The wood-for instance, poplarhaving the shape of square rods, is

turned into sticks of a diameter substantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the neck of the bottle. Then when the sticks are of the desired length they are boiled in lye until all the sap or liqueous substance contained in the same is gone. This boiling is done in special tanks arranged for the purpose. The boiled sticks are thoroughly dried and put in a vessel or receiver capable of supporting a strong pressure and provided with a heating device. Then the air contained in the receiver and in the wood is exhausted by Serial'No. 104,252. (No modelJ means of a pump. By means of the action of the vacuum thus produced in the vessel a melting waterproof impregnating substance, substantially formed of paraffin or other substance fulfilling the same purpose, is introduced into the wood; The temperature of the said substance as itis introduced in the receiver varies according to the circumstances allowing a good penetration in the wood. Said temperature can be controlled by means of the heating device. When the vacuum action is terminated, some waterproof substance or condensed air is pressed into the receiver by means of any pump whatever. The purpose of said pressure is to insure a good penetration in the wood. of said waterproof substance according to the essences and the degree of penetration which is to be reached. It varies from two kilograms to fifty kilograms per square centimeter. For the same reason its duration is variable, and it is only through experience that the desired purpose can be obtained. When the wood has reached the desired point of impregnation, according to the quality of the corks which is to be obtained, the apparatus is emptied, and the wood taken out is now ready for the manufacturing of corks.

VVorhz'ng 0f the prepared wood for manufacturing the c0rhs.It is very important to first know which is the shape to be given to the cork, the wood being not sufficiently resilient by itself. It is the shape of the cork which gives to the same the necessary pliantness to allow it to be exactly adapted in the neck of the bottle. This result is obtained by boring in each wooden cylinder prepared in the above-mentioned way and intended to form the cork a circular groove concentric to the side face of the cork, so that the cork will have on a determined portion of its length an inner cylindrical projection of its bottom surrounded by a cylindrical concentric tubular portion, the walls of which are made thin enough so that when the cork is driven into the neck the walls of the tubular portion of the cork will be pressed against the inner projection, and thus an air-tight corking will be obtained. The height of the said inner projection may vary, as shown in the drawlugs.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the cork Ct is provided with an inside projection 1), against which the tubular outside wall of the cork is pressing yieldingly when the cork is driven into the neck of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 showsa cork provided upon its whole length with an inside projection. Fig. 4 shows a similar cork, the head of which is made resilient by a supplementary circular groove 0.

Generally the cork is driven to threefourths of its length, and the largest portion of its head is left outside of the neck, and therefore allows the cork to be pulled out by means of tongs instead of a corkscrew, which has the advantage of allowingto use the cork over and over again.

If it is desired to easily cork the bottle even with the neck, the cork must be shaped as shown in Fig. 4:. In order to render the head resilient, it is provided with a concentric groove, leaving between said groove and that of the bottom enough wood to insure the necessary air-tightness. This shape leaves a free space to the head and allows the introduction of a corkscrew without any chance of breaking the neck. WVith either of said shapes the corking may be elfected without any corking-machine. It is only necessary to introduce the cork in the neck and to drive it into it by means of a mallet or with any well-known instrument whatever. The shape of the cork being exposed to be worked, one takes the prepared sticks, as already mentioned. The said sticks are put on a turning-lathe or other suitable machine to be turned to the exact diameter, and then the groove or perforation is made. Such as it is now it could be used for the corking; but as during the working the tool could have produced a deformation or torn ofi some fibers its head is submitted to a slight heating or it is put once more into the said substance and cleaned afterward to insure its air-tightness. If it is marked by means of a heated stamp, this marking will answer the purpose of reheating the head of the cork.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. An improved process for the manufacture of wooden corks consisting in first boiling the wood in suitable tanks and then drying the same before putting it in an air-tight Vessel or tank and submitting the same successively to the action of a vacuum-pump and of a pressure with a view of impregnating the wood contained in the said vessel with a suitable impregnating substance essentially composed of paraflin and finally turning the cork to a cylindrical or approximately cylindrical shape having on part of its length an inner cylindrical solid projection surrounded by an outer tubular portion which isintended to be compressed, when put into the neck of a bottle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. An improved process of making wooden corks, consisting in first boiling, the wood in suitable tanks and then drying the same, putting it in an air-tight vessel or tank and submitting the same successively to the action of a vacuum-pump and of a pressure of a suitable impregnating su bstance essentially composed of paraflin, turning the cork to a cylindrical or approximately cylindrical shape having on part of its length an inner cylindrical solid projection surrounded by an outer tubular portion which is intended to be compressed when put into the neck of a bottle, and finally reheating a part or the whole of the finished cork for improving the impregnation of the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS LE FRANO.

Witnesses:

E. IMER-SOHNEIDER, L. H. IVIUNIEIL. 

